There are at least 5,000 named sponges, and perhaps thousands more unclassified. The simplest form of sponge is in the form of an irregular cylinder with a sponge coil, which is a large central cavity that occupies the inside of the cylinder (Figure 1).
What is the simplest body shape of a sponge?
The simplest body structure of a sponge is in the form of a tube or vase known as an "asconoid", which severely limits the size of the animal. The structure of the body is characterized by a stem-like sponge surrounded by a single layer of choanocytes.
What is the most common sponge body shape?
Lucon sponges are the most complex and most common of the sponge body forms. These sponges have multiple dermal holes and can have multiple oscrams. The opening leads to a canal leading to a chamber lined with choanocytes, which in turn leads to the current canal.
Is the sponge simple or complex?
Sponges are the simplest multicellular animals found in fossil records. It is hard to imagine that a complex organism like a human is associated with such a very simple animal.
What is the structure of the sponge?
Polyfera. The body of the sponge is made of a jelly-like material (mesohyl), mainly made of collagen, and is reinforced by a dense network of fibers also made of collagen. It is sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. Many also have a skeleton composed of calcium carbonate or silica spicules.
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